Silo door frame and ladder construction



June 23, 1931.

S.- E. ANDERSON SILO DOOR FRAME AND LADDER CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 18. 1929 Patented June 23, 1931 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES SIGURD E. ANDERSON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA E SILO noon FRAME AND LADDER CONSTRUCTION The object of my invention is to provide a silo door frame and ladder construction of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a door frame for silos consisting of a substantially rectangular frame member with eyelets at the sides thereof to which the ends of a silo rod may be connected, 2. pair of thrust bars extending vertically from the bottom of the frame member to the top thereof. Another object is to provide the frame memberof flat bar material with the eyelets formed by riveting the ends of the bars to gether with portions of the contactingparts of the'bars being bent away from each other for forming the eyelets, the bars being bent so that the eyelets are'slightly spaced from the silo and a small thrust member in the formfof an ear beingbent from the ends of one bar to prevent the eyelets from being drawn toward the silo when the silo rods are tightened. 2

Another objectis to provide ladder step members pivoted to the frame member so that they canbe swung to position where they do not obstruct the opening defined by the frame 'member, whereby the operation of removing ensilage from the silois facilitated.

Another object is to provide the ladder step members on the door frame so that they will not have to be either supported on the doors themselves or other means provided for anchoring. them to the silo wall.

Another object is to provide the ladder step memberspivoted at one end and latched at their opposite end in such a manner as to serve as tie bars to prevent sidewise spreading of the silo door frame when the tie rods are tightened.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts'of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more v Application filed December 18, 1929. Serial No. 414,963.

fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Although the invention is susceptible of a variety of embodiments, it is unnecessary to fully describe and illustrate more than one in order to give a full understanding of the invention both from its structural and functional standpoints. Accordingly, I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the silo showing a pair of my improved door frame and ladder constructions applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the frame and ladder construction.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a silo which may be formed of concrete or wood staves or any other suitable material. Door openings 12 are provided in the silo 10 at spaced vertical intervals. The staves of the silo 10 are ordinarily held in assembled position by silo rods 14.

My door frame and'ladder construction is indicated generally by the reference character A and is of substantially rectangular construction. One of the frames A is adapted to be placed around each door opening 12 and is held in such position by silo rods 16 and nuts 18. The ends of the rods 16 extend through eyelets 20 formed in the frames A. Each frame is made of a pair of flat bars bent in substantially U shapes with their ends riveted together as indicated at 22-. The eye 20 is formed by bending the bars outwardly between the rivets as clearly illustrated in Figure 4.

The bars forming the frame member A are bent as indicated at 24.- to space the eyelets 20 from the wall of the silo 10. I/Vhen. the nuts 18 on the silo rod 16 are tightened, there is a tendency to spread the sides of the frame A and contract the top and bottom thereof. This contracting action is counteractedv by thrust rods 26. The tension of the rods 16 also has a tendency to straighten the bends 2i and this is counteracted by an ear-like thrust member 28 engaging the silo wall.

The ladder step members are indicated at 30 and are formed of flat barimaterialbent as clearly shown in the drawings. Each step member 30 is pivoted at 32 and its opposite end engages behind a latch member 34. The free end of the member 30 ishoolred at 36 to engage the side of the latch member 34. All points of such side are equi-distant from the pivot center 32 so that the step members 30 may be conveniently moved from the operative position to an inoperative position illustrated at the top of Figure 1. When in the inoperative position 'theydo not obstruct the door opening 12 and thus a ladder is provided which can be easily adjusted to a position for convenience in removing ensilage from the s1lo. V 1 I The step members 30 act as t1e rods between the sides of the frame A and thus aid in pre venting the spreading of the frame members in conjunction with the thrust rods 36; r

The silo door 38 is adapted to contact with shoulders 40 on the inside of the silo and a sealing medium such as a coatingof clay or tar paper can be inserted betweenthe door and the shoulder. The door is then tightened by means of a clamping bolt 32 and cross bar 44. While the operator is standing on the ladder step elements of one door frame, he may move the steps of the next frame thereabove to a position'where the door can be removed and the door can also be easily replaced while standing on the ladder.

I consider the combination.ofidooriframe and ladder, the ladder being Zed toand carried by the frame, as being one of the primary advantages of my construction.

Heretofore, when the ladder step elements have been mounted on the door, itself, there is a tendency to break the seal between the silo, the sealing medium and the door when ever thestep used; By making the step independent of the door this disadvantage is entirely eliminated; .It may be mentioned that when the seal is broken between the jacent the break immediately occurs and gradually spreads throu h the remainder of the ensilage. Thus mounting the ladder step elements on the door frame becomes 1m portant and my construction is advantageous V in having the door step elements movable to "a position where they do not door opening.

obstruct the ber.

struction a frame member, means for attaching the sides of said frame member to the ends of apair of spaced silo rods and ladder step members extending across said door frame from side to side thereof.

' 2. In a silo dooraframe and ladder construction a frame member, means for attaching the sides'of said frame member to the ends of a silo rod and apair of ladder step members spaced from each other and pivotally connected with onesideof said door frame and latchingly connected-with the other side thereof. 7 V

3. In a silo door frame and ladder construction a frame member, means for attaching the sides of saidfframe member to the ends of a silo rod'and aopair of ladder step members extending across said door frame from, side to side 'thereof'and movable relative to the frame memberfor assuming a position ofi'ering no obstruction to the door opening defined by the door frame,

' 4. In a silo door frame and ladder construction-a frame member, means for attachg h d s of sai frame membe to th ends of a silo rod and a ladder-step member pivotally connected with one side-of said door frame and latehingl-y connected with the other side thereof whereby when the ladder step member is in latched position itacts as atie rod between thesides of the frame meni- 5. In a silo door frame and ladder eonstruetion a frame member, means for attaching the sides of said frame member to the ends of a silo rod with the frame member positioned against the outer Wall of-the silo and -a ladder step member extending across said door frame from side to side thereof,the central portion of said ladder step members being spaced outwardly from the frame member.

having eyelets raised above the surface of the frame which contacts with asilo, a silo rodhavi'ng-its ends received in; said eyelets and thrust members adjacent said eyelets to prevent them from being. drawn toward the silo when said silo rod is tightened.

7 In a silo door frame and ladderstructure, a frame member adapted to define a door opening, means for supporting'the same on a silo wall and'ladder step elements carried by said frame whereby a plurality of said stru turesa a ged from bottom to top 6. In a silo door frame, a, frame member opem'n of a silo constitute the sole means for providing a ladder for mounting the silo.

8. In a silo door frame and ladder construction a frame member adapted to define 5 a door opening, means for supporting the same on a silo Wall and ladder step elements carried by said frame said step elements being pivoted to the frame for movement to a position offering no obstruction to such door Des oines, Iowa, October 17, 1929.

SIGURD E. ANDERSON. 

